Primavera Century

I did my first metric century this weekend at the Primavera Century.

I just wanted to say thanks to the organizers and volunteers it was an extremely well organized ride. The rest stops were well staffed with a wide variety of various snacks, goodies & drinks. The locations were well choosen to give riders a break.

The route was EXTREMELY well marked. Every turn over the ENTIRE course was marked with a small colored arrow & P. Any place where the route was potentially confusing also had small A-frame signs directing riders. There were SAG cars clearly marked and frequently patrolling the route.

The 100k route went through a lot of scenic areas, with minimal traffic. Plenty of great views of the Sunol valley and the oak hills.

After the ride, you turned in your wrist band and collected a goodie bag with a voucher to use at one of four gourmet food trucks.

I usually ride Mt. Diablo (S. Gate) once a week, so I didn't find the first climb that bad. The Wall on Calaveras was steep but at least it was short. The last climb on Palomares Rd was pretty rough. My Garmin was showing 10-11% grade for a full mile, which made for a good sufferfest. I was really struggling to keep 60 rpm, fortunately the hill ran out just before I did. It seemed like everyone was struggling on that hill though, just glad there was a rest stop before it. I definitely would have bonked if I didn't drink a can of Coke at the stop.

The descent down Palomares was awesome. It was great just cruising down the back side.